After Marking the Villain Professor (ABO, GL) - Chapter 56

Chapter 56

As dusk settled, the evening temperature didn’t drop below the daytime heat; in fact, it seemed to keep rising. The car’s air conditioning was broken, and Wang Kang, sitting in the passenger seat, was drenched in sweat, tugging at his collar incessantly.

“It’s so hot. It’ll be a while before we reach the city, and I don’t see any zombies. Open the window,” Wang Kang said to John, who was driving.

“Young Master Kang, I wouldn’t recommend that. The zombies here are too fast, and some even use tools. If we spot one and can’t react in time, we’re in danger,” John replied, keeping the window shut. He pulled a small handheld fan from his pocket. “Make do with this for now. Once we get to Nancheng, you can do whatever you want.”

Wang Kang: “…”

It wasn’t what he wanted, but he took it anyway.

“John, where’d you get this little thing?” Wang Kang asked, fanning his face.

John grinned. “Swiped it, of course. From that kid called Xin’er.”

Though a foreigner, John had spent enough time in the country to pick up many local idioms.

Wang Kang was almost speechless. “Why would you steal from a kid? Why not take something more useful?”

Like Zhou Yutao’s potions, or the heat-resistant suits they wore, or even some ice or gasoline. He’d seen plenty of good stuff in Zhou Yutao’s car.

John shrugged. “No choice. After I took their food last time, they’ve been watching me like hawks. No chance to grab anything else.”

The two men in the backseat chimed in. “Yeah, Young Master Kang, they’re clearly on guard against us. Just earlier, I said one bucket of instant noodles wasn’t enough and asked for another, but they wouldn’t give it.”

“I say we just ditch them. Why follow their orders?”

“Exactly. They’re making us go first, obviously using us as cannon fodder to scout the way.”

“Didn’t your father say if you didn’t make it back to Nancheng in twenty days, he’d send someone to get you? Young Master Kang, let’s bolt. Find a place to hide and wait for pickup. We’re not far from Nancheng now.”

“We can’t mess with Professor Zhou, but can’t we at least hide?”

The group was growing reluctant, and Wang Kang felt tempted by the idea. But thinking of Xu Man and the words Zhou Yutao said before they left, he sighed. “Forget it. The outside’s crawling with zombies. Where could we even hide?”

“Sticking with them means we don’t worry about food or drink. We just swallow some pride. We’d have to pass through this route to get to Nancheng anyway. Together, our chances are better. We might even get there earlier than expected.”

More importantly, if they ran, that venomous Zhou Yutao would surely make things hard for Manman. Manman seemed completely charmed by that vixen, and she’d be the one hurt. Even if Manman’s heart no longer belonged to him, Wang Kang still wanted to protect her. After all, she’d saved him when they were kids.

Another key point: Zhou Yutao was someone the Nancheng base leaders specifically wanted. If they could escort her back, the credit would be huge. In short, staying with Zhou Yutao had more benefits than drawbacks.

Having survived this long, Wang Kang wasn’t stupid. His behavior around Zhou Yutao was just a reaction to being provoked, his emotions briefly out of control.

The men in the car exchanged glances and fell silent. They had to admit, Young Master Kang’s words made sense.

The car grew quiet as they drove on. Suddenly, a grotesque figure lunged from the roadside, startling John. But he quickly realized it was a zombie and didn’t slow down, running it over and crushing it under the wheels.

“Zombies! Everyone, get ready!” John shouted. The others immediately loaded their guns, peering out the windows with vigilance.

The car’s headlights didn’t reach far, so they couldn’t see much of their surroundings. They were nearing the city.

One, two, three, four—four zombies appeared on the road, all knocked down by John. They thought danger was imminent, but after those four, the road grew eerily quiet.

An uneasy feeling crept into their hearts.

“Young Master Kang, are we really going into the city?” one asked.

“Isn’t it too quiet?”

“Didn’t the others say there were no living people left in there? Why only a few zombies now?”

“When things are this strange, something’s wrong. Should we pull back?”

John slowed the car, intending to warn the others in the second vehicle, but it sped past them into the city. Then, with a loud ‘boom’ sound, that car exploded. From John’s position, they could only hear the blast and see the flames.

It happened too fast for anyone to react. A flash of grief crossed John’s eyes as he slammed on the brakes.

Wang Kang, in disbelief, stammered, “What just happened?”

Zombies? Impossible. Even if these zombies were faster than most, they couldn’t be capable of blowing up their car.

There was no time to think. After the explosion, a horde of zombies poured out of the city. John made a snap decision, turned the car around, and floored it back the way they came—but it was too late.

Over a hundred zombies in military uniforms chased them down. To make matters worse, the off-road vehicle’s tire gave out. As the windows were about to be smashed in, the two men in the backseat jumped out, running in another direction.

“John, get Young Master Kang out of here!” they shouted, firing their guns to draw the zombies’ attention, buying John and Wang Kang a chance to escape.

The car was useless now. They ran for their lives. Some zombies behind them had learned to throw objects—knives, iron rods, stones—hurling them at John and Wang Kang.

John dodged, but Wang Kang wasn’t so lucky. A knife lodged in his back, and he collapsed instantly.

“Young Master Kang, hold on!” John grabbed him, hoisting him onto his back and running.

The pain left Wang Kang pale and speechless. He felt death closing in. To die like this—what a waste. He hadn’t even been with Manman.

Regret flickered in his fading eyes.

Finally, Xu Si and the others spotted John and stopped their car to pull them in.

“Did we make it?” John mumbled, dazed and still in shock.

No one paid him attention; all eyes were on the gravely injured Wang Kang. Zhou Yutao produced a bottle of green liquid and tried to pour it into his mouth, but his lips were clamped shut.

John snapped out of it. “Someone needs to feed it to him mouth-to-mouth. Young Master Kang likes Xu Man best—let her do it.”

“Xu Man, you can’t let him die.”

Before Xu Man could respond, Zhou Yutao shot John a look. “You’ve watched too many dramas. It’s fried your brain.”

She turned to Xu Si. “Pry his mouth open.”

Whether on purpose or because Xu Si was naturally heavy-handed, Wang Kang’s jaw was dislocated in the process. But the medicine went down.

Wang Kang’s breathing steadied slightly, and the bleeding slowed.

John muttered, “Young Master Kang’s already badly hurt. Could you be a bit gentler?”

No one responded.

Zhou Yutao stepped back after administering the medicine. “Qi Lin, you take over.”

Her potion could only keep Wang Kang alive temporarily. Surgery was up to Qi Lin.

That was why Zhou Yutao tolerated Qi Lin’s presence.

Qi Lin, arms crossed, was cold and unyielding. “Why should I save him? I won’t.”

Zhou Yutao paused. “Suit yourself.”

She instructed Xu Si, “Tell everyone to fall back.”

She didn’t like Wang Kang anyway and had done what she could.

The others stayed silent.

John panicked and dropped to his knees before Qi Lin. “Doctor Qi, please save Young Master Kang. His father’s in Nancheng. Whatever you want—money, women—we can get it for you.”

“He got like this scouting the way for you. If you don’t save him, don’t expect to know what happened up there.”

His tone shifted from pleading to threatening.

Qi Lin wasn’t fazed, sneering, “Then let him die.”

“Being in a car with a dying man is bad luck. I’ll go to another one.”

She moved to leave.

Everyone knew Qi Lin was dead set against saving him, and Wang Kang was as good as gone. The knife in his back had been precise—just a centimeter off, and he wouldn’t have made it to them alive.

John was stunned.

Tan Juan whispered, “Asking anyone but Qi Lin would’ve been better. That psycho only kills, never saves.”

“Sister Fang, you’re much better. Our values align.”

“So, Sister Fang, stay away from Qi Lin and hang out with me instead.”

“Sister Fang, let’s stay in this car later. Can I see that gold bracelet of yours again? I didn’t get a good look earlier because of Qi Lin.”

Fang Lingyun: “…”

In the apocalypse, saving someone was a personal choice. And Qi Lin wasn’t exactly easy to get along with.

This Big Banana Lady was *really* hung up on her gold bracelet, bringing it up even now.

Fang Lingyun sighed, unable to find a reason to refuse, and nodded slightly.

Tan Juan thought her words were private, only for Fang Lingyun’s ears, but Qi Lin, near the car door, overheard.

She turned back.

John brightened. “Doctor Qi, have you changed your mind?”

Qi Lin shot him a cold glance. “One more word, and I’m out.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll shut up,” John nodded repeatedly.

Qi Lin approached Wang Kang, opening the toolbox Zhou Yutao had prepared, filled with surgical instruments. She put on gloves, casting a subtle glance at Tan Juan.

Tan Juan’s jaw dropped. “No way, Qi Lin’s actually saving him? Am I still asleep? Damn, I swore if Qi Lin ever saved someone, I’d eat sh1t. Why’s the universe doing me like this?”

It was beyond belief.

This was the ruthless villain who killed without blinking.

Tan Juan even pinched her thigh.

Qi Lin’s grim expression softened, a faint smile in her eyes. She picked up a scalpel. “Everyone irrelevant, out.”

“I don’t want a bunch of idle people watching while I work—especially you, Big Banana Lady.”